Celebrities and Surrogacy Children

There are a lot more options available today for individuals and couples that want to extend their families. With the rise in infertility, more and more people are choosing to use a Surrogate. This is the best option for couples and individuals who want to have a biological connection to the child, but the woman is not capable of carrying a pregnancy to term successfully.

Surrogacy is now common in Hollywood. For many celebrities, using a gestational Surrogate is the preferred choice for expanding their family. Many celebrities who find that they have infertility issues and cannot conceive on their own, choose  IVF first. However, failed treatments have led them to seek the help of a Surrogate.

Each Surrogate plays a different role, depending on who the Intended Parents are.  Some Surrogates are only there to deliver the baby while others become an important part of the child’s life and sometimes even fulfil the role of godmother.

Since the early 90s, many celebrities have been open about their use of a Surrogate. As a result, surrogacy has become more common and more celebrities are openly discussing how happy they are that option is available to them. Having their own biological children would not have been possible if it weren’t for a Surrogate. 

Here is a list of 15 celebs who have used a surrogate to fulfill their dreams of building a family and experience the joy of parenthood.

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Robert De Niro

In 2011, Robert De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower welcomed a baby girl in their family who was born via surrogacy.

At 68, Robert De Niro wanted to have another child, but had five children from other relationships at the time.  He has twin sons, who were born via a Surrogate, with his ex Toukie Smith. He also has two older children with his first wife Diahnne; a daughter in her forties and a son in his late thirties.

Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban

For actress Nicole Kidman, getting pregnant was an emotional ride. 

Two years after she gave birth to Sunday Rose, her first child, she decided to use a Surrogate in order to have her second child. Kidman also has two adopted children Isabella and Connor, with her first husband Tom Cruise.

Elizabeth Banks

Actress Elizabeth Banks has some medical issues that prevent an embryo from implanting into her uterine wall. Because of her condition, she was not able to carry a pregnancy to full term.

Elizabeth Banks and her husband Max Handelman had two sons, Magnus and Felix, via surrogacy. They have a unique relationship with their Surrogate who has remained in their lives, as an auntie to their children.

Chris Daughtry

Wife of musician Chris Adam Daughtry, Deanna Daughtry, had a partial hysterectomy in 2006, leaving her unable to carry children. Chris Daughtry is a rock band star and a former American Idol contestant. He has been married to Deanna Daughtry since November 11, 2000. When they decided to have children, they turned to surrogacy. They used In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and had the embryo transferred to a Gestational Carrier. The Daughtry family welcomed twins, son Noah James and daughter Adalynn Rose, into their family on November 17, 2010.

Elton John

Elton John and David Furnish used a surrogacy agency in California to build their family. The couple welcomed their sons Elijah and Zachary via surrogacy.   They are said to have paid $27,660 and $32,600 to their Surrogates.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin is among those who didn’t wait to find a perfect match to start their family. As a single parent, Ricky Martin welcomed his twin sons Valentino and Matteo, born via a Surrogate in 2008. Ricky Martin states that he doesn’t think of a Surrogate as a “rented womb” which is a term that some people use for a gestational carrier. He has an everlasting bond with his Surrogate and views her as an angelic being that blessed him with twins.

Marissa Jaret Winokur

She was unable to carry the child herself after losing her uterus and a part of her cervix to cervical cancer. Luckily, her ovaries were not affected, and her eggs were safely preserved. In 2008, Marissa and her husband Judah used a Surrogate for the birth of their son Zev. She has a close relationship with her Surrogate and wants her to be in the child’s life forever. The Surrogate is also her son’s godmother.

Giuliana & Bill Rancic

The couple publicly struggled to have a baby on their reality TV show Giuliana and Bill. They didn’t lose hope of experiencing parenthood even after 3 failed IVF cycles. Instead, they finally decided to use a Surrogate. While her baby was conceived, Giuliana underwent a double mastectomy, after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Her child, Edward Duke was born on August 29, 2012, via a Surrogate. The couple is now planning for their second child.

Dennis Quaid

Actor Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly Buffington used the services of a Surrogate for the birth of their twins Zoe and Thomas. At the time of birth, Quaid was 53 and Buffington was 35. They never said why they chose to use a Surrogate. The twins were born on November 8, 2007.

George Lucas

George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson had their first baby via surrogacy. This child was Lucas’s first biological child. He has three adopted children from his previous marriage to Marcia Griffin. Their baby daughter was born only two months after their marriage on August 9, 2013.

Katey Sagal & Kurt Sutter

The couple decided surrogacy was the best option for their first child together. Katey has two other children from a previous marriage. After the birth of her second child, she had some medical issues that made it impossible for her to carry another child. On Jan 10, 2007, the newest member of the family, Esme Louise, was born. 

Neil Patrick Harris

Having been together for several years, Neil Patrick Harris and his partner David Burtka decided to use a Surrogate. In an interview, Harris said that two eggs were used from an anonymous donor and each man donated sperm. On October 12, 2010 twins Harper and Gideon were born.

Deidre Hall

Deidre Hall, best known for her portrayal of Dr. Marlena Evans in the daytime drama ‘Days of Our Lives’, with her husband Steve Sohmer used a Surrogate to expand their family before the procedure was as common as it is now. Their Surrogate journey was different as they were not able to use Deidre’s eggs. However, Sohmer’s sperm was used to fertilize the Surrogate’s egg. The couple felt that it was important that their child was biologically related to at least one of them.

Joan Lunden

Journalist Joan Lunden turned to surrogacy after she was unable to conceive after five attempts via In Vitro Fertilization. The eggs were from an unknown donor, and the name has not been disclosed to them.  The couple eventually had four beautiful children via surrogacy. There was a time when they had four children at home, all under the age of two.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

After struggling to conceive her first two children, North and Saint, the couple considered other options. According to a source, Kardashian’s Surrogate is a San Diego mom in her late twenties who was paid $45,000 for the process. Their third child, a daughter, was born to them on January 15, 2018. They named her Chicago.

Surrogacy is not that uncommon. Having celebrities tell their stories, makes it even more acceptable in the eyes of society. If you have any questions about the surrogacy journey, we’re here to help. You can always visit us or call (858) 345-3273 for more information. 

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